Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Just a quick post folks as it's already after 3am and the alarm is set to go off in 4 hours.

Felt good to be back at work today instead of stuck in the house but boy oh boy.. what a day weather wise. I heard the wind, saw the rain and wouldn't be surprised if I simply missed the hail as it's been torrential most of the day.

Tonight I've spent chatting with friends and my wee mum on the phone followed by the final construction of my wreath for this coming Saturday's workshop.

Anyway on to what was yesterday's make. I started with 2 polystyrene cones, dowling rods, silver paint, mica flakes.

After adding a lick of paint, a coating of mod podge and a sprinkle of mica flakes before sealing with more mod podge I've now got another 2 sparkly trees to blend in with the ones I done last week. Looks there's gonna be a lot of glitter around the house this crimbo season. I can't wait!

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Well folks the old lurgy made a reappearance the last few days so I'm back to the Vicks de toilette and paracetamol again but the good news is I've managed a little bit of crafting.

You may or may not remember one of the advent calenders I made a few years back... well its travelled around rather a few shops as well as being on display in the shop so it was looking a bit worse for wear. Thankfully these KaiserCraft advent calenders are such high quality they can take the abuse so rather than having to bin it I've been able to start a revamp. Black has been replaced with metallic gold, papers are new too (with exception of drawer fronts) and I've bought a couple of wee pieces to add for that Victorian feeling.

Full picture will be uploaded once it's complete but today I took a break and switched to playing with polystyrene cones. Hopefully get that uploaded tomorrow if I can get a good enough pic.

So my time off work is over and I've hardly been out the house but seeing as I had to pop in the shop yesterday to pick up some supplies we took a wee trip down to Silverburn shopping centre (highlight of my hols lol). We had a stroll about and picked up some stocking fillers as well as a trip to the Handmade Burger Co for some dinner. The staff are always so pleasant & friendly in there. Anyway the trip came to an abrupt end as my temp started to rise so had to get home and bump some more meds in me. Thankfully I've another few days off next week again so can take another wee trip down then along with mum.

Well that's it all for now folks so will sign off and go get my hair straightened for work (I look like one of the hair bear bunch today lol).

Friday, 5 December 2014

Afternoon all and eh it's been a while! Didn't mean to disappear like I have but finished up work last Thursday for a weeks holiday and bam.. was struck down with a head cold or a flu on Friday! Lovely start to my fully scheduled break eh. I had so much planned from painting the house, Christmas shopping etc and what have I achieved? Not a sodding thing, that's what.

Yesterday was the first day I could say I actually felt somewhat normal (no cheeky comments from those who know me lol) so a catch up around the house was required including a massive washing basket of dirty clothes. Yuck! Obviously the whole day couldn't possibly be centred on being domestic so I had a rummage in the craft room (first day I've even wanted to look at Craft stuff so I must have been ill) and found a set of 6 wooden trees that I had bought at a craft show about 3 years ago (hangs head in shame) and knew right away what I could do with them. I wanted to keep them plain and simple but obviously they needed some sparkle and shine.. It is Christmas afterall lol.

After constructing them I added some snowtex to the base for texture then covered in metallic silver paint. Next up using mod podge I covered the actual tree structure & star with luna silver mica flakes and a final coating of mod podge to seal it all.

Voila.. 6 shiny and sparkly trees ready for Christmas.

So what's on today's agenda.. hhmmm I had mum bring me in a pile of supplies yesterday so this afternoon will be spent in the kitchen. Good old Herman has been awoken from hibernation so it's cake baking time. Totally forgot about him till Hels mentioned him the other day and my brain went pop.. I've got him in sleep mode lol.

Now if you're a Herman lover here's a little piece of info that not every one knows as most people receive him off a friend and follow the instructions he comes with. If you have a Herman and you keep him for say 2 weeks.. feed him & nurture him as prescribed. After this you can actually allow him to go in to hibernation. Simply place him somewhere dry with a tea towel on top and he will sleep. To reawaken you simply feed him! My Herman has been in hibernation for around a year as I'm not a big baking fan but I do love to gift cake to friends at this time of year. Only thing to remember is make sure you give him one last feed before locking him away.

Anyway I'm off to do a quick clean up and decided if today's recipe is going to be apple & walnut or banana & chocolate chip lol.

Catch ya all laters and if anyone out there is suffering the cold or flu hope you get well soon. My remedy was a mixture of paracetamol every 4 hours and my new fragrance.. Vicks de toilette 😉

Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Evening all and sorry for being quiet the last few days but it's been a bit busy around here. After my fabulous workshop with Ken on Friday, I was assisting Debbi Moore at one of her Cardilicious Workshops on Saturday then Sunday I sort of fluffed around chilling out. Wee extra shift in store on Monday followed by an after hours meeting with the boss to plan a few extra workshops that we are squeezing in before Christmas.

I will be conducting 3 make and take workshops where attendees can create a wreath similar to that in the picture.

Saturday 13th December Time slots available are 10am, 12pm & 2pm Cost £10 Incudes all materials

Places can be booked via telephone on 0141 883 6855.

Oh and guess what... I'm on holiday next week.. Yay.. well apart from the fact that the week is already planned, being filled with Christmas shopping and painting! Hubby made a start last weekend so the en - suite has now been refreshed.. Shame about all the other rooms still to be done lol.

Right I'm off to make a wee cuppa, watch some tv and do my sudoku. Catch you all later.

Saturday, 22 November 2014

Just a quickie folks to let you see what we got up to today at Ken Oliver's ART AT THE EDGE workshop in Craft World.

What an awesome day we had filled with fun, laughter and creativity using Prima products and tutored by the one and only amazing Ken Oliver. Can I just say what a privilege it has been having him in the shop this week and I'm sure it's gonna seem that bit quieter after tomorrow when he departs. Hopefully it won't be too long though before we're welcoming him back again.

I'm sure the ladies attending the Saturday workshop are gonna have just as much fun as we did today.

I can't believe how much stash I have left over in my goody bag so much so I think I'm gonna have to buy another album so I can repeat the process all over again lol.

Well I may not be in the shop tomorrow but I have other work commitments so another early rise. Guess that means I best get myself off to bed eh!

Friday, 21 November 2014

How honoured do I feel.. I've received my ceramic poppy that was part of the amazing commemorative centenary display at the Tower of London.

It was nice seeing pictures over the last few months knowing that somewhere in the vast moat was my very own little poppy. Yesterday when it arrived I was shocked at the emotion I actually felt. My Great Grandfather and his 3 brothers perished during WW1 and all my Great Great Grandmother received was a postcard notification for each loss of life. It makes you stop and think really.. nowadays we dread that the postman will be bringing another bill and yet for 4 long years the people of Britain dreaded receiving these notifications. Makes you realise just how lucky we are now eh and yet how many of us truly appreciate it. Anyway, when I opened the box and touched my beautiful handmade poppy I was overcome with emotion. It may sound strange but I felt like my Great Grandfather had finally come home to his family. This is something I will treasure forever.

Thursday, 20 November 2014

G'day all hope you've had a good one. Today I thought I'd share my latest Jones Crafts DT project. Now every month Mr Postie arrives with a surprise package for me and it's not until it's open that I know what I'm working with. It's a wee bit like Santa arriving on a regular basis lol.

This month my package enclosed the new KaiserCraft 'CLOSE UP' range. It's what I would call a slightly softened mix of retro combined with years gone by. There are soft shades of green and green, bright blues and pinks and some deeper shades of brown. Patterns range from cameras of decades gone by, romantic flowers, slightly damask style patterns and retro patterns too.

Now where to begin.. hhmmm. .. let's choose a background I thought.. ok done.. now where to go from here! I chose a few pieces I liked that worked well together and started on the mock layout then when I was happier with that I pulled out the old albums and low and behold was there not one where my brothers shirt blended in perfect in colour. Decision made. Finally I secured everything in place, added a little glossy accents to the lens of the camera and chose a sentiment.

Well it's bed time again folks.. 2.10am and alarm goes off at 7.30am so will sign off for now and be back again tomoz night.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Just a quick note before bed folks as I got busy with other things earlier and suddenly remembered I hadn't posted yet.

What a fun day we had in store today. Best start ever as we literally arrived at the same time so I had a massive hug before we even entered the building lol. Lots of good banter and teaching Ken a few local sayings. Oh yeah and we did have a customer sit on his knee for a cheeky wee photo lol.

Now you can see how Ken has captured his audiences attention and they really were good pupils cause they learned lots and asked some sensible questions too.

As for my pic! Well I'm rather camera shy as I don't take very food pics but Ken insisted on this one and trust me.. He's not a man that likes the word no lol. Anyway I had sloped off to get his A4 album that he's teaching (my excuse to have a touchy feely session as it's gorgeous) and when I came back to show the customers he was in position ready to snap a pic. Now if I had to choose between the pic and the album.. I'm sure you can guess from the evidence which I'd opt for lol.

Ken & myself ended the day with a nice wee song & dance session which was rather funny and there's now a few songs he'll never hear again without thinking of me (poor soul).

Well folks the clock is ticking away and there's an alarm set for 7.30am so toodle pip and catch you all tomorrow again.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Tuesdays agenda will see our dear friend Ken showcasing his talents using the new Spellbinders Victorian Collection along side another few products. Demo runs from 10am - 4pm and you are welcome to drop in and spectate any time you please.

Wednesday and Thursday, Ken will be hosting a mini workshop on both days between 10am and 2pm during which under his supervision you can create a Vintage Pedestal Photo Frame.

Friday and Saturday, Ken will be hosting an all day workshop on both days between 10am and 4pm during which under his supervision you can create a fabulous A4 Vintage Print Memory Album and you will also take away a goody bag as an added bonus.

As you can see from the pics these are stunning projects created using a variety of techniques and products.

Ken has been touring the United States with these awesome Art At The Edge workshops and we are honoured to now be hosting them at Craft World in Glasgow. Places are obviously restricted but if you fancy joining in then further details can be obtained online at

Well folks that's Ken's first day in the shop over and apparently he had great fun creating with Brusho.. don't you just love the colours! Someone referred to it as looking at the earth from space which I thought was a super description.

Monday, 17 November 2014

Monday will see the beloved American crafter Ken Oliver kick off a run of six days in store with demonstrations from 10am till 4pm showcasing his Stick It adhesive and how it has transformed your ability to die cut those very intricate designs.

This is just the beginning of his time with us here at Craft World so I will post daily updates. Sadly I'm not at work tomorrow so won't be able to get any pics but if the boss behaves and takes any then I'll pinch them and upload here. Can't believe I'm so excited about going to work on Tuesday morning lol.

Friday, 14 November 2014

I've been itching to put this post on all day but have been a good girl and stayed patient until now lol.

THE Ken Oliver will be at Craft World in Glasgow from Monday 17th November until Saturday 22nd November hosting a variety of demos, mini workshops and 2 all day workshops.

Can't believe I'm gonna be spending do much time in this man's presence over the coming week and to say I'm excited muchly is a mahoosive understatement!!! Lol

Full details are available on the shops website www.craftworldonline.co.uk where you also have the opportunity to book a space on one of the workshops. You can also book via the phone on 0141 883 6855 or by calling in to the shop in person.

I have a feeling this is gonna be a full on fun week ahead and I can't wait for it to start.... oooohhhh I'm on the edge already lol

Off to try and calm myself down a wee bit as I've been on tenterhooks all day.

Thursday, 13 November 2014

Evening all and apologies for lack of posts lately but with the exception of a few days when I've been ok I've actually been rather poorly.

Last Friday I had my nails done and made a start on clearing the craft room.

Saturday felt like crap

Sunday was running around dealing with a load of stuff that needed done.

Monday got stuck in to my craft room and managed to restore some order.

Tuesday.. well I had crap nights sleep so felt absolutely awful and by time I got home was exhausted and suffering from one hell of a migraine. Ate a few pain killers and was asleep by about 10pm. Woke just after 1am to discover had locked the house up, turned the lights off and covered me with a big fleece to keep me warm. Poor soul decided it best to leave me sleeping. Sadly once I went to bed the tossing & turning began again but I did manage to sleep on and off till 7.30am when the alarm sounded.

Wednesday.. Sadly I awoke still with a headache and the added sickness feeling.. oh no I thought. Off I toddled to work anyway and thankfully by mid to late afternoon the headache and sick feeling started to disperse. Fingers crossed that's an end to it but sadly tonight I've struggled to get to sleep yet again but am off now to get my head down and hopefully get some zzzzzz's.

Before I go though I wanted to let you know about a new blog.. its one for my work Craft World where we will be sharing lots of inspirational pictures and news about upcoming products so if you're a blogger please pop over for a wee visit and sign up as a follower so you don't miss out on the gossip.

I have so many finished projects and no place to put them right now but hubby has promised to help me get them up on display over the coming weeks so fingers crossed he keeps his words. These here are just some of my favourites completed both by myself and also some very dear friends.

Thankfully after a very long day of sorting & organising this is how the room looked by Monday night.. much better eh

So far I have filled 4 boxes with stash that will be rehomed and I still have stuff in the garage to sort through!!! At least I can now see the carpet and have dramatically lightened the weight on the floor boards lol.

Well I'm actually quite ashamed that anyone should see my craft room looking like this but I'm prepared to hang my head in shame.

Over the last few months I've just been 'dumping' stuff in my room but decided to start on a clean up last Friday night and after pulling a few things out and starting to get rid of stuff including the 'just incase' pile.. This is what my room looked like at the end of the night!!!!!

Haha.. hope too many of you didn't fall off your chair in horror lol. Unfortunately I didn't feel well on Saturday and had lots to do on Sunday so the rest had to wait till Monday.

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

Between the housework, washing and socialising I've been working away on a little something wooden. Just a sneaky peek at the moment as the recipient has not yet received it but soon as they do I will post a proper picture of the finished project.

Next project will probably be paper based as I've just received my new KaiserCraft stash from Jones. That should keep me out of mischief for a wee while eh! Lol

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Sorry I've been naughty and missed a few days posting but I'm back and here's a quick run down of what's been keeping me away.

Sunday began with a little bit of a lie in complete with breakfast in bed. Then early afternoon I collected mum and we took a wee trip in to the SECC as I had a few peeps to see. Funny thing was we only got to the walkway from the carpark when I bumped in to someone I know.

Now this was my first visit attending the ICHF craft show as a consumer for about 8 years as I'm usually entering as a trader and I have to say I was not at all impressed. So let me start at the beginning.. first up you now have to park in the SSE Hydro multi storey car parkwhich only has pay stations on the 2nd floor!!! Cost of which is £7.00. Then you have to make your way out of the car park along the 'open to the elements' skywalk.. who the dickens designed that!!! Then you have the queue for one of the lifts that holds a whopping 6 people max!!!! Once at the other end you can either choose to walk to the venue which we did Iin the howling wind and pouring rain, or you can queue in the same howling wind and pouring rain to wait on an oopen golf buggy to drive you to the venue. Either way we were going to be cold, windswept & wet.. Not a good start! So by the time we arrive it is now 2.30pm and the show closes at 4.30pm. Admission prices... exact same as if we had entered at 9.30am!!! £9.00 for myself and a concessionary ticket for my 73 year old mother at £8.00!!!!! How generous of them to knock off a whole quid for the elderly eh!!! Mother now decides to buyone of the show guides offered to her by a girl walking around with an arm full of them. Not surprised she had so many as they are now up to £2.00!!!

So let's see just how much it has cost for 1 adult and 1 OAP to attend the show for 2 hours..

Parking £7.00

1 adult £9.00

1 OAP £8.00

Guide £2.00

Grand Total.... £26.00!!!!!!

Think I'd rather have spent that on some craft goodies instead of just getting in the front door.

So... after all that I felt somewhat unwell whilst in the show and had to make a swift departure and grab a coffee before attempting the drive home. Absolutely no idea what was up but I suddenly had this popping bubble effect in my ears, a bile sickness feeling in my stomach and my balance didn't feel quite right. Poor mum thought she was going to have to take my keys and drive me home lol. Needless to say I went straight to bed and thankfully felt better on Monday morning.

Now Monday started with a nice Reiki session, followed by an afternoon of housework, washing and a few visitors.. good way to enjoy a day off I'd say.

Tuesday I was confined to the house waiting on DPD delivering a parcel and my good friend Pauline Wheeler had made me feel guilty by tidying up her craft room so I decided to make use of my confinement and start a major clear out of the crafty hell hole.. you know how we all have that 'just incase' stash... well mine is going!!! So far I have filled a box for my friends daughter and another of stuff that I will give away to crafters or donate to llcal groups. Worst part of it all... I'm not even half way through! Now the box below shows the amount of pens in that box in the pic above.. I won't tell you the exact figure but let's just say it's a 3 figure amount!!! Shocking really.

Anyway, on to today.. when I was back to work in the shop. Few deliveries, pile of internet orders, lovely customers and a catch up with the girls. Chill session once I got home before hubby's arrival and the dinner ritual commenced. Now we are in the process of setting up a shop blog and Alan has been ever so good in uploading some card designs along with product lists but as he is not a crafter it's been left to me to type up some instructions so that's another 3 done tonight ready for him to upload tomorrow.

Finally... it's time for me to get my pj's on and catch some beauty sleep before the alarm goes off in 5 hours.

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Well folks would you believe it's not even 1am and I'm sleepy!!! Not like me eh lol.

There's a very good reason for it though, you see we had a mini extravaganza day in the shop meaning we had 6 demonstrators on between 10am and 4pm. When the day began I had every intention of taking pictures throughout the day but eh.. that plan went out the window after the first half hour as there's simply wasn't time!

The first picture was taken about 10 mins after the doors opened and let me tell you this was when it was quiet.. you wouldn't believe what it was like by 11am. Thankfully most of the companies close by are closed on a Saturday as in addition to our car park being full our customers were parked on 3 additional streets within the industrial estate lol.

Now we always say that we have the best customers and here is a few pics to prove it. In the second picture is our boss lady Gaynor who is actually being given a vegetable (can't remember the name) which a customer had grown herself and brought in as a gift. Then we have the all important CAKES!!!!!!! There is never a demo day goes by that someone doesn't give us something yummy to keep our energy levels up and this time around it was Angela with a big box of delicious homemade cupcakes. It was 5pm before we even had a chance to dive in to them but they were well worth the wait.

Needless to say I've kinda just sat back with my feet up tonight and done sod all but chill and I'm actually looking forward to going to bed and with the turn back of the clocks I even get to have an extra hour in bed.. yippee doodle dandy.

So with that said I'm going to sign off and get my pj's on ready for the land of nod.

Friday, 24 October 2014

Thanks to my position on the Jones Crafts DT I was able to play with the adorable new KaiserCraft range called Teddy Bears Picnic and decided that my first project would be created using one of the Candy Box Crafts heart shaped mirror frames.

As always with CBC kits they piece together beautifully and this one comes complete with mirror too so all you need to add are your papers, embellishments etc.

This paper range has a variety of designs from muted to bright and has textured designs also such as this faux stitching and there's even some fur too!

Wouldn't this make a fab gift for a childs room or even for a new born baby where mummy could hang it in the nursery.

Sorry it took so long to get proper pictures uploaded but the weather is just not on my side by the time I get home from work and I prefer natural over artificial but we got there eventually.

Well dinner is currently in the oven so I think tonight may have to entail some more crafting just to ensure I'm well relaxed for the busy day ahead in the shop tomorrow.. that's gonna be my excuse anyway lol.

Hope you all have a fun weekend planned and one that includes some creativity too.

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Evening all.. just a quick post tonight. What a busy week we've had in the shop. Gone are the days when it used to be quiet because everyone was at the big craft event at the SECC.. now they go there for an hour or two followed by a trip to us where a lot of them start the visit by helping themselves to a wee cup of tea or coffee and a biccie lol.

Now the winter nights are closing in and it's already dark by the time I get home meaning I can't get any decent pictures so here is another wee peek at the latest project on my desk. Thankfully all can be revealed tomorrow as I've got a day off meaning I can use the sunlight.. Yay..

Don't you just LOVE this adorable old guy.. Defo one you'd want to cuddle.

Right folks I'm off to sort a few things before sitting back to chill out.. hospital tomorrow for some bloods and stuff so want to be well rested.

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Evening all.. very quick post as it's almost 2 am and have work in the morning but wanted to show you a quick sneaky peek of my current project. This is another fab new paper range I'm playing with and I think you'll all love it too.

Monday, 20 October 2014

Well I've finally got time to sit down and post a few more pictures and type some text.. so what's been happening?

Friday afternoon at 2pm I took myself off for a wee Reiki session.. ehh.. not quite sure it turned out to be so wee as I didn't actually leave until 5.15pm lol. What a wonderful practitioner and I will certainly be returning. I know a lot of people are sceptical but I have to say it works for me. She was spot on and narrowed in on my back and chest. Now I've been fighting a bit of a chesty cough and even my husband (who is very skeptical) is surprised at the difference since Friday. As for my back.. well she said that was so bad she was surprised I'd actually been able to walk never mind work. Now pain is something that we can't see and no-one knows the levels that others actually suffer but I have to say she was pretty spot on with that too. I've suffered a lot with my back and can honestly say I haven't had a pain free day for so long now that I had forgotten what it felt like. I'd actually just accepted that I was going to go through the rest of my life suffering pain and was prepared to just get on with it. Well... since Friday I've had so much relief it's unbelievable and again my husband is shocked that I've not been asking him to rub pain relief cream on and have had absolutely no pain killers. I'm feeling on cloud nine right now and can't wait for my next session.. hopefully a shorter one now that I seem to be doing a little better lol. Friday night didn't bring much but sleep, sleep & more sleep.. that is a miracle for me eh!

Saturday I didn't do too much.. lazy start to the day, shopping and a wee bite to eat with mum followed by a night watching the music channels on tv and dancing/singing the night away till the wee small hours.

Today has been a household day, washing, hoovering etc so it's been rather non eventful but we did have a little sunshine which allowed me the opportunity to get a few pics of my latest project albeit I still have some more pearls etc to add but doubting I will get another photo opportunity this week as the weather is set to turn a little on the nasty side tomorrow.

So.. what is this project all about?

It's my latest Jones Crafts (link at top) DT project using the gorgeous KaiserCraft Rustic Harmony collection. I started by painting and distressing my frame then attached a sheet of 12×12 paper behind the front layer. It was then a matter of deciding on embellieshments and placement. This may very well end up being a birthday gift for mum as the colours would fit perfect in her bedroom and she loves when I make her stuff as no-one else has the same. She currently has a hanging wall clock and personalised coasters in her living room and takes pride in telling people where she got them. Lol.

Oh well I guess I've gone on enough for one night so will depart for the time being. Off to visit a friend tomorrow and help her empty a few boxes in her new home then hopefully get a litte evening craft session.

About Me

Hi I'm Lorraine Robertson & I live in Motherwell, just outside of Glasgow. Sharing my home are my hubby Rob, originally from Huntington Beach, California, my cat 2 and 5 rabbits. My neighbours cat is also a daily visitor to get her biscuits. Im fortunate enough to be a paper craft demonstrator so I get to travel around and meet lots of lovely crafters...